Galway International Arts Festival: Two of the most exciting weeks you’ll spend in one place!

Poster: Ciara Geraghty

Galway. July. Only one thing really springs to mind – festivals!

Wedged between the Galway Film Fleadh and the Galway Races are two of the most exciting weeks you’ll ever spend in one place. I’m talking about the Galway International Arts Festival – my favourite time of the year in Galway!

Free street performances bring energy onto Galway’s medieval streets.

During these two weeks it almost feels like the city has its own rhythmic pulse and the people are moving along with it. The medieval streets are alive with performances from acrobats, dragons, and stilt walkers while the theatres are jam packed with people soaking in some culture.

Street Spectacle in Eyre Square, in the heart of Galway City.

The highlights for me every year though are the amazing gigs in the Big Top Tent which has seen top names such as The Corona’s, Bon Iver, Imelda May, Chic & Nile Rodgers, and The Waterboys, to name a few. The atmosphere is chilled, the crowd is an eclectic mix of young and old and the location is perfectly situated in the heart of the city at Fisheries Field… There’s just something so right about standing in a field drinking a pint of beer out of a plastic cup listening to some great music.

This year sees the following big name acts taking the stage:
The Corona’s
St. Vincent with Little Green Cars
Kodaline and The Academic
Sinead O’Connor & John Grant
Damien Rice

The magical and iconic Big Top Tent. Photo: Joe Travers

If you don’t make it to the Big Top there’s loads more acts taking the stage in both the Roisin Dubh and Monroe’s Live. If I had to recommend one show out of these not to miss it would be Jerry Fish on Friday, 24th July in the Roisin Dubh. His energetic performances tend to bring out the inner madness in everyone in the crowd…

The Galway International Arts Festival takes place between Monday 13th – Sunday 26th July 2015. For the full programme and ticket information check out: www.giaf.ie